Sri Lanka Kicks Off Asia Cup with Thrilling Six-Wicket Win Over Bangladesh
In a high-energy start to the Asia Cup, Sri Lanka chased down Bangladesh’s total with ease, thanks to a brilliant half-century from Pathum Nissanka and a solid partnership with Kamil Mishara. The match unfolded in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, giving Sri Lanka a flying start in the tournament.
Sri Lanka’s captain won the toss and chose to bowl first, putting pressure on Bangladesh right away. Fast bowlers Nuwan Thushara and Dushmantha Chameera fired early, dismissing openers Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain Emon for ducks. Bangladesh slumped to 0/2 in just 1.4 overs. Things got worse when Towhid Hridoy fell to a run-out by Kamil Mishara for 8, leaving them at 11/3.
Bangladesh skipper Litton Das fought back during the powerplay, smashing three fours off Dasun Shanaka to push the score to 30. But Wanindu Hasaranga’s spin magic struck next, removing Mahedi Hasan for 9 and then trapping Litton for 28. Suddenly, Bangladesh were 53/5 in 9.5 overs.
Enter Shamim Hossain and Jaker Ali, who rescued the innings with a vital 86-run stand for the sixth wicket. Shamim smashed 42 not out off 34 balls, including three fours and a six, while Jaker remained unbeaten on 41 with two boundaries. They guided Bangladesh to 139/5 in 20 overs, crossing 100 runs by the 16th over. Matheesha Pathirana’s expensive 19th over leaked 18 runs, including extras and Shamim’s big six.
Hasaranga shone with 2/25, while Chameera and Thushara picked up one wicket each. Now, it was Sri Lanka’s turn to chase 140 in this T20 Asia Cup clash.
Bangladesh struck first in the chase, with Mustafizur Rahman removing Kusal Mendis for 3, caught by Litton Das. Score: 13/1. But Nissanka and Mishara steadied the ship. Nissanka found boundaries off Tanzim Hasan, and Mishara exploded in the fifth over against Shoriful Islam, hitting a six followed by two fours. By the powerplay’s end, Sri Lanka reached 55/1, with Mishara on 25 and Nissanka on 18.
The duo kept the momentum going, racing to 100 in just 9.2 overs. Nissanka turned heads, blasting five boundaries in quick time. He notched up his half-century off 31 balls—six fours and a six—and hit a personal milestone: 2,000 T20I runs in 68 innings, the fastest for a Sri Lankan batter. Only Kusal Perera and Kusal Mendis had reached it before him.
In Asia Cup history, Nissanka now joins stars like Virat Kohli and Mohammad Rizwan with three fifty-plus scores in seven innings, tying for second-most.
Their 95-run partnership ended at 108/2 when Nissanka holed out for 50 off Mahedi Hasan. Sri Lanka lost quick wickets—Kusal Perera for 9 and Shanaka for 1—slipping to 126/4. But skipper Charith Asalanka smashed a huge six, bringing them within one hit of victory.
Mishara (46 off 32 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and Asalanka (10 with a six) finished the job in 14.4 overs, winning by six wickets with 32 balls to spare. Mahedi took 2/29 for Bangladesh, with Mustafizur and Tanzim claiming one each.
This Asia Cup opener showcased Sri Lanka’s strong batting lineup and Bangladesh’s fighting spirit, setting the stage for more exciting matches ahead.
Brief Scores: Bangladesh 139/5 (Shamim Hossain 42, Jaker Ali 41, Wanindu Hasaranga 2/25) lost to Sri Lanka 140/4 in 14.4 overs (Pathum Nissanka 50, Kamil Mishara 46*, Mahedi Hasan 2/29).
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